Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Parallel translations
- WEB Whoever therefore humbles himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
- KJV Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
- NKJV Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
- NASB So whoever will humble himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
- NLT So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
True greatness in the kingdom belongs to whoever humbles himself like a child. Jesus redefines greatness as lowliness, not status.
Overview
Answering the disciples' question directly, Jesus says the greatest is the most humble. This reverses worldly measures of importance and points to the character of Christ himself, who humbled himself even to the cross (Philippians 2:5-8). Greatness in God's kingdom is measured by self-lowering love.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Jas 4:10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.
- Mark 10:43But it shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
- Luke 14:11For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
- Luke 9:48And He said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in My name welcomes Me, and whoever welcomes Me welcomes the One who sent Me. For whoever is the least among all of you, he is the greatest.”
- Matt 23:11–12The greatest among you shall be your servant.
- Matt 20:26–27It shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
- 1 Pet 5:5Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
- Matt 18:1At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
- Ps 131:1–2A song of ascents. Of David. My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty. I do not aspire to great things or matters too lofty for me.
- Isa 57:15For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and humble in spirit, to restore the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite.
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 18:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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